Budgie continued to use the cab and chassis based on a Bedford TK vehicle to create No.24 Refuse Truck. Like the others, the model appeared in a variety of colours and castings although the tipping body was always metallic silver.

 

Cast as one piece, the cab and chassis at first had a narrow cross-brace behind the cab and two holes at the rear for the tipper hinge-pin. This was upgraded to having clip-fit nodules in place of the rear holes (chassis 2), and later a third improvement to strengthen the chassis with a wider cross-brace (chassis 3).

 

Under the cab was a little base which on the early models had a short rear extension and a rivet holding it onto the chassis. Later this extension was lengthened but because the Refuse Truck body was only attached at the rear, the extra length was not in fact needed on this model.

 

The base lettering read 'A Budgie Model' and 'Made in England' which on the first base was asymmetric which continued for a time on the type 2 base but was then revised and centralised on base 3.

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The fourth type base was a completely new casting with new lettering and an open centre enabling it to be clip-fitted into new holes on each side of the chassis just behind the cab. This meant that there was no need for a rivet. The new base also had four nodules to help hold the front axle firmly in place. For more details of the different chassis and base castings of the Bedford models see the Budgie No.21a Tipper Truck page and the listings below.

 

There was only one version of the tipping body but it was cast in two parts, the second being the rear 'door'. Although it did not open, the door was prone to falling out and models without it are not uncommon. Underneath the body, 'No.24' was cast.

 

First issue of the Refuse Truck had an orange cab and chassis, a silver body and black plastic wheels on flat-head and crimped axles. The tipper was attached by a hinge-pin at the rear.

 

With the improved chassis new cab colours joined the orange version. These were yellow, dark green or red. They continued to have black plastic wheels but the axles changed to rivetted type.

 

No.22 Refuse Truck (which measured just 59mm long) first appeared in 1963 in the usual range of boxes and blister-packs used by Budgie. Despite being in production for just three years it is not hard to find although the first issue with hinge-pin is less common and some colours can be scarce.